Australian said final goodbyes, but rescued from Mumbai hotel

New York, Nov 29 (IANS) After two days of being holed up in a smoke-filled room in Mumbai’s Oberoi Trident hotel as terrorists went on the rampage, Australian David Jacobs had given up hope of getting out alive. But soon after he sent goodbye messages to his family, Indian security personnel pulled him out.Jacobs, who works in New Delhi, was on a business trip to Mumbai when terrorists struck the city Wednesday night. The Oberoi Trident hotel was one of the 10 places attacked by the militants.

When shooting started in the hotel, Jacobs somehow managed to reach his room and locked himself from inside for two days. He was more scared as he watched on the television inside the room that the terrorists were targeting American and British passport holders.

Jacobs told Time magazine that at the end of two days he thought it was the end of his life as fire engulfed the portion of the hotel where his room was located.

“The smoke was unbelievably thick. I thought now I was in serious trouble and got ready to escape. I took the door key and a torch, and got down on my hands and knees, and went out. When I saw the (flickering) light (from) the door, I figured if the lights went out I wouldn’t be able to get back into my room. So I put a wet towel in the door and tried to get out again. I only made it past two and a half rooms before realising it wouldn’t work,” he said.

Next he tried to escape by coming down the window through a makeshift rope he prepared with bed sheets. But he soon gave up as he realised that the fire was just beneath him.

“Then I decided to give up and wait. But first, I left messages for my wife and four children to say goodbye,” he said.

Luckily, Jacobs managed to survive as there was a knock on his door Friday afternoon. It were the commandos.

“I raised my hands and opened the door. And I thought, well, I’ve made it,” he said.